Inking apparatus



Aug. 19, 1941. J. D. TYLER INKING APPARATUS 5 Sheefs-Sheet 1 Filed Sept.20, 1937 attorney 2 Aug. 19, 1941.

J. D. TYLER INKING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 20, 1937 5 Sheets$heet 3 X /aimINVENTOR (JO/7ND. TYLER WYM ATTORNEYS Aug. 19, 1941. J. D. TYLER INKINGAPPARATUS Filed saint. 20, 1957 TYLER 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 JOHND.

ATTORNEYS Aug. 19 1941. J TYLER 2,252,790

INKING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 20, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR JOHN D.TYLER Patented Aug. 19, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,252,730INKING APPARATUS John Duke Tyler, Birmingham, Ala. Application September20, 1937, Serial No. 164,725

24 Claims.

This invention relates to inking apparatus for a printing press of thereciprocatory bed type, and has for an object the provision of a unitaryassembly which can be mounted and dismounted from the printing press asa whole by a single latch control.

A further object of the invention is the provision of inking mechanismincluding a multiplicity of rollers in which the rollers may beseparated for cleaning and protection without individual removal fromthe assembly.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a simplifiedmechanism for oscillating certainof the rollers.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a simplified fountainwith means for adjusting the ink flow from the fountain whereby thedegree of adjustment may be noted visually.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a fountain which,with its feed roller, can be removed as a unit from the assembly.

In accordance with my invention, the printing press in which the inkingmechanism of my invention is mounted, is provided with frame members inwhich the inking mechanism is adapted to fit. The inking mechanism fitsreadily into assembled relation with the frame members of the printingpress, and a simple latch control secures the inking mechanismrelatively to the press. anism are supported by roller bearings whichrest in matching slots of the frame of the inking mechanism. The slotsare so arranged that when an inner frame is raised, the rollers areseparated for protection and for cleaning.

Included in my improved mechanism are a plurality of oscillatingrollers. The intermediate oscillator rollers are provided with bevelledends which bear against flanges of the trucks of others of the rollers,whereby the oscillator rollers are caused to oscillate upon rotation. Alarge oscillator roller included in the assembly is oscil lated by meansof a ball and race mechanism responsive to rotation of the roller.

All of the rollers of the assembly are adapted for limited verticalmovement in their frame, and this vertical movement is utilized toprovide for the ink feed. The fountain with its feed,

roller is preferably made as a separable unit from the rest of theassembly and is mounted for removal independently of the other rollers.An operating mechanism, preferably of the ratchet and pawl type iscarried by the fountain and is operated by relative movement of theother rollers to operate the fountain feed roller.

The rollers of the inking mech- 1 These and other features of myinvention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis application, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a printingpress having my improved inking mechanism applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of Fig. '1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the assembly removed from the printingpress;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the inner rollersupporting frameremoved from the assembly;

Fig. 6 is a front view of the ink fountain;

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the same;

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing means for effect-- ing oscillatorymovement of the large oscillator roller; and

Figs. 9, l0 and 11 are sectional views, somewhat diagrammatic,illustrating the operationof my improved inking assembly with a combinedtype form and stencil.

Referring to the drawings, I show a printing press having areciprocatory bed In driven by a sprocket chain H having a pinl2'fitting into a yoke l3. The sprocket chain is driven from a motor 14through a belt 16, and a train of gears I1. At 18 is shown an impressionroller, or platen, which is mounted in a frame [9 for reciprocatoryvertical movement in response to movements of the bed H1, and is wellunderstood with this type of printing press and which forms no part ofthis present invention. On the bed I0 is a side rail 2| which serves toactuate the inking rollers of the assembly as the bed reciprocates backand forth beneath them.

The inking roller assembly may be attached and removed as a unit fromthe frame of the printing press, being secured thereto by a single latchcontrol. Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, the frame of the printingpress is shown at 22 projecting upwardly on each side. Pins 23 arecarried by the frame and extend inwardly thereof near the upper surfaceof the reciprocatory bed Iii. In each of the upper portions of the framemembers 22 there is provided a recess 24. The inking roller assembly ismounted in outer side frame members 26 having in each at the bottom anotch 21 to fit over the pins 23. The outer side frame members 26 arejoined together by a top horizontal member 28, through which extends aregulating screw 29 having a regulating nut 3! and a lock nut 32thereon.

around to move the pawl and ratchet: mechanism 53,

cross member 28 is an arm 33 having a manually controlled handle 34connected thereto interthe recesses 24, whereupon the arm 33 is swung tolock the assembly in position.

The inking mechanism consists of a fountain M with the usual flexibleblade 42 and feed roller 43 which is supported as a unit between theside frame members frame members.

held; in place by means of latch pins '41- which extend intosuitablerecesses in the side frame Each of the eccentrics is preferably made ofresilient spring metal: and" is bored slightly smaller than the shaft 5]2 upon Which it fits, and is provided With-amopen-notch 52 which permitsit to spread when mounted on the shaft 5| and engagelthe shaft withsufii'cient frictional contact toiholdi'i t in any angular position itmaybe placed; The" eccentrics. 48, as: will asto effect control of thespace between the blade; and the feedarollejr 43- throughout the-lengthof theblade. The'ifeedi roller 43 isemoun'ted in thesides of thefountain 4i and is operated by means ofa from an .arm 54. As? the arm 154 is raised: and lowered in a manner tosbe described later; the feedroller 43 is turned by the ratchet in. a clockwise direction, asse'en'jin: the drawing' to take theiink from-the fountain 4t. 1

The distribution of the: ink after leaving the fountain istbroughtabouti by a plurality of distri butin'grand oscillating rollers;A pickuproller 56 contacts." the feedrroller l3 'and' takes the inktherefrom, :fromiwhichi itigoes to a largeoscillatingvroller 51which-bears by gravity against the". pickup i roller '55 .and against adistributinglroller. 58',- which inturn contacts'with a rider:oscillating roller :59which bears againstithe form :contactr roller: 6f,which: latter comes in contact with the printing form on the bed I I 5658; 63, 8 and 6 II are. made of composition ink roller material; whilethe1rollers"51,'59; 64 and share madeoi metal. Thetroller 56 is mountedon a shaft B1; theroller 58" on a shaft 68; the roller- SI on a shaft69j"the roller 62' on a shaft 1l"; the roller 63 on a shaft 12;thelroller 64 on a shaft 13: and. the: roller 66 on; a shaft 74.

Mounted on the ends .of" the shaft 74 arefrictionfitrircks'lii which:bear upon-the upper rail 2l-iof .thelreciprocatory bed 105 Also on theends of the' shaft fifl areifrictionztrucks 71. A shaft 78 extendingacross. beneath the pickup .roller; 56

, carries on its endslfrictionttrucks'lil which ride pins into therecesses 24 and 26 on guides fixed to the side on the rails 2| of thereciprocatory bed and engage with friction rolls 8| at the ends thereofto give motion to the pickup roller 56. The oscillator 51 is driven byfrictional contact with the rollers 56 and 58 from their respectivetrucks [7 and 79.

All of the shafts of the rollers and trucks just described are mountedin bearings carried in the as shown in Fig. 5, through vertical guideslots 88, 89 and 9! in the outer side .frame members 25 so that the saidbearings are freely movable vertically in said guide slots. Thesaidibearing housings also extomsof the slots 91; This clearance is soarranged that upward movement. offrame members 82 and 83 will first liftroller 62 relatively torollers 58 and 63.-

The bearings 81 are biased downwardly by means of springs which are heldin the skeleton end frame members 82' and 83; The upper catch roller 56-is biased downwardly by means of. coil; springs bearing against thehousings for its bearings 84 to insure contact with the feed roller 43'.

From-the description of the assembly already made-it will be seen thatif the inner skeleton are joined together by an upper cross member 98 towhich the adjusting screw 29 is integrally joined. A spring 99 on theadjusting screw 29 bears against an adjustable collar IBI on the screwand against a collar I02 beneath the cross member 28 to regulate thedownward pressure of the skeleton side frame members 82 and 83. If theadjusting nut 3| be screwed down the skeleton side frame members 82 and83 are lifted bodily to separate the rollers. If the adjusting nut 3| bescrewed up, the skeleton side frame members 82 and 83 are pusheddownwardly by the spring 99 to bring the rollers together. The extent towhich the side frame members can be pushed down is determined by thesetting of the lock nut 32. This permits adjustment of the travel of theside frame members 82 and 83 to compensate for variation in diameters ofthe rollers due to expansion and contraction and wear.

Mounted on the skeleton side frame members 82 and 83, are vertical lugsI03 and IM (Fig. 2) having vertical slots I96 therein which are adaptedto receive a shaft N31 for the oscillator 51. The shaft is flattened atm8 where it enters the slots IE6 so as to hold it against rotation, theoscillator 51 being adapted to rotate about the shaft I01. Mountedrigidly on the shaft I01 within the oscillator 51 is a member m9 (Fig.8) having formed therein a ball race II! which is continuous about themember Ids so as to form a reverse pitch helical groove. A ball IIZrides within the groove III and is confined in a recess in a ring IMmounted on rods I56 and I I1 extending through the length of the rollerinside and secured in end plates thereof by means of nuts I I8. The ballI I2 is held in prep er pressure relation to the groove and recess bymeans of a set screw H3. As the roller 51 is rotated by frictionalengagement with the rollers 58 and 58, the ball IIZ, travelling in thegroove III, move the roller back and forth longitudinally withconsiderable travel, there being a com plete oscillation to and fro foreach revolution of the oscillator roller 51.

The rider oscillating rollers cillated from the trucks 16 and 11 bymeans of flanges H9 and |2| provided for said trucks. The rollers 59 andM are duplicates in construction and the details of the oscillatingmeans are shown only in Fig. 2 with respect to the oscillating roller64. By reference to that figure, it will be seen that the ends of theroller are bevelled at I22 and I23 with parallel surfaces and that theybear against the flanges N9 of the trucks 16. As the trucks 16 rotate,the tates the oscillating roller 64 by frictional engagement therewithand as oscillator fi l rotates, bearing against the flanges I I5 causesit to oscillate longitudinally.

In the operation of the printing press, the side rails 2| of thereciprocatory bed It pass from beneath the trucks 15, 11 and 19, eachtime the bed reciprocates, allowing vertical movement of the bearings84, 86 and 81 in their respective slots.

83 are free to reciprocate vertically a distance determined by thesetting of the lock nut 32. The arm of the ratchet and pawl mechanism56-, when the ink fountain is in place, extends between the bearings calreciprccatory motion of the bearings and the inner frame is transmittedto the pawl and ratch et mechanism to cause the feed roller 43 to rotateand carry ink to the pickup rollers 55.

The skeleton frames 82 and 83 bear against 58 and M are 05- :1

distributing roller 66 ro- Also, the inner frame members 82 and 34 and86, so that the vertirollers I24 mounted on the side frames 22 toprevent cramping of the bearings in the registering slots of the innerframe and outer frame during relative movement of the two frames.

The inking assembly is adapted also for cooperation with a combinedprinting and stenciling operation. The inking rollers, a before stated,are adapted to be driven from the trucks 16, due to the frictionalengagement of the trucks with the side rails 2| of the reciprocatory bedId. In Figs. 9, 10 and 11, I show a stencil unit I25 and a type set upI21 which are locked in the bed ID in any suitable manner known to theart, not shown. The stencil unit is provided with side rails I28 whichare inside the side rails 2| of the bed Iii, so that as the flanges N9of the truck 66 (and the flanges of other trucks) reach the side railsI28, they lift the inking rollers clear of the mimeograph assembly. Whenthis occurs, the inking of the mimeograph stencil is taken care of byother means not shown.

From the foregoing description, the operation of my improved inkingapparatus will be apparent. As the bed Ill reciprocates, the frictiontrucks 16, 11 and 19, in contact with the rail 2|, effect rotation ofthe rollers 56 to 66, inclusive. As the bed I5 approaches the end of itstravel to the left, as seen in Fig. 1, it passes out from beneath thefriction trucks and all of the rollers are permitted to move downwardlyto the bottom of the slots for their respective bearings. When the bedmoves to the right, they are again raised. This vertical reciprocatorymovement of the roller operates the ratchet and pawl mechanism 53, 54,and effects rotation of the feed roller 43 to carry ink to the pickuproller 56. The ink picked up by the roller 56 is distributed over therollers 63 and 68 by the oscillator 51 and the rider roller E2. Theintermediate oscillators 59 and E4, having bevelled ends bearing againstthe flanges of the-friction trucks, are oscillated as they rotate, thusfurther distributing the ink over the form contact rollers BI and 66.

The amount of ink to be fed to the particular parts of the form isregulated by the adjustment of the eccentrics 48 on the shaft 5|. Theangle of the eccentric can be visually noticed by the position of thehandles 49.

The ink fountain with the feed roller can be removed from the assemblyfor cleaning by simply unlatching the latches 41. The large oscillator51 can be removed by lifting it out of the slots IE6. If desired, it maybe placed with the ends of the shaft I01 in a slot I36, as shown in Fig.4, which raises it out of contact with the rollers 5t and E8, or theposition shown in Fig. 3.

The whole assembly can be removed from the printing press by releasingthe latches 38 and 39 by means of the handle 34 and lifting it out ofthe printing press. The rollers may be separated by screwing down on theadjusting nut 3| to bring the rollers to the position shown in dottedlines in Fig. 4:. With the rollers thus separated, they can be cleanedwithout being individually removed from the frame.

As shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, the flanges on the friction trucks makeit possible to utilize my improved inking mechanism in association withthe stencilling operation, the flanges being adapted to ride up over therails I28 provided on the stencilling frame, thus raising the inkingroller off the stencil. By this arrangement, a combined printing andstencilling operation maybe carried out simultaneously.

While I have shown my invention in but one form: it, will be obvious. tothose skilled in the artthat; it is not; solimited, but is susceptibleof are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is;

1. In an inking roller assembly for a printing press, form rollers, aplurality of distributing rollers disposed above the form rollers,roller shafts, bearings for the shafts, an outer relatively fixedposition frame for the rollers having 61011? gated vertical slotstherein for the superposed bearing housings, an inner, frame havingseparate relatively short vertical slots for the several superposedbearing housings, said slots registering with the slots of the outerframe, the bottoms of' the upper of said slots being nearer theirrespective housings than the bottoms of the lower slots, and means toraise the inner frame whereby to separate the rollers.

2. In an inking roller assembly for a printing press, a plurality ofrollers and superposed distributing and oscillator rollers, bearings forthe rollers, a frame having vertically aligned slots for supporting therespective'superposed roller bearings, means responsive to movements ofthe printing press to effect reciprocatory movement of at least certainof the roller bearings in their slots, a fountain roller, and meansresponsive to reciprocatory movement of the said roller bearings toeffect rotation of the fountain roller.

3. In an inking roller assembly for a printing press, a plurality ofrollers including lower form rollers and superposed distributing andoscillator rollers, bearings for the rollers, inner and outerrelatively-movable frames having aligned slots in which the bearings aremounted for vertical movement, the slots of the inner frame beingrelatively short, and the bottoms of the upper of their respectivebearings than the bottoms of. the lower slots, and means for raising theinner frame to separate the rollers.

4. In an inking roller assembly for a printing press of thereciprocatory vertical reciprocatory tion of the fountain roller.

5. In an, inking roller assembly for a printing press of thereciprocatory bed type, a plurality of rollers including lower formrollers and superposed oscillator and distributing rollers, side railson, the bed, frictional drive trucks coacting with the rails to rotatethe rollers, beveled ends on the oscillator rollers, and flanges on thetrucks bearing against the beveled, ends of theoscillator rollers tooscillate the same.

6.- In an inking mechanism, a form roller, an oscillating roller bearingupon the form roller and having parallel beveled ends, driving means forthe form roller, and flanges on the driving means bearing against thebevelled ends of the oscillating roller.

7. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, the combination of aform, roller, an oscillating I'Qller bearingagainst the form roller,parallel rollers including lower form of the reciprocatory bed bevelledends. on the, oscillating; roller, a :supporting truck for rotating theform roller, and means on said supporting truck adapted to bear theroller is oscillated as it is rotated,

9. In an inking mechanism for a printing press type, including a pinrality of distributing and form contact rollers and means to drive thewith its feed roller,

a printing type, including 1 a f the shorter slots being nearer thebearings of the upper rollers than the lower, and means to raise theinner frame relative to the outer.

13. An inking roller assembly for a printing bed, a fountain roller incontact with at least one of said rollers for initiating thedistribution of the ink by said rollers, a reciprocating bed movablerelatively to said rollers and adapted to move at least certain of saidrollers vertically on said mounting means, and means operable by thesaid vertical movement of said rollers for rotating said fountainroller.

14. In an inking mechanism for a printing press of the reciprocatory bedtype, including a plurality of distributing and form contact rollers andmeans to drive the rollers, means responsive to reciprocation of the bedto effect a limited vertical movement of at least certain of therollers, an ink fountain having a feed roller, a pawl and ratchetmechanism for rotating the feed roller, and an arm for the pawl andratchet mechanism connected with the rollers to effect operation of thepawl and ratchet in response to said vertical movement of the rollers.

15. In an inking roller assembly for a printing press of thereciprocatory bed type, a plurality of rollers including lower formrollers and superimposed oscillator and distributing rollers, side railson the bed, trucks for said form rollers coacting with the rails,beveled ends on the oscillator rollers, and flanges on the trucksbearing against the beveled ends of the oscillator rollers to oscillatethe same.

16. In an inking mechanism, a form roller, an oscillating roller bearingupon the form roller and having parallel beveled ends, supporting trucksfor the form roller, and. flanges on the supporting trucks bearingagainst the beveled ends of the oscillating roller.

17. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, the combination of aform roller, an oscillating roller bearing against the form roller,parallel beveled ends on the oscillating roller, a reciprocating bedhaving side rails, means for rotating the form rollers on said siderails, and means associated with the said means to bear against thebeveled ends of the oscillating roller to oscillate it longitudinally asit rotates.

18. An inking assembly including a pair of main side plates, alignedguide slots in said side plates, a series of inking rollers, bearingsfor said inking rollers mounted for guided vertical movement in saidguide slots. certain of said rollers resting on one another when thebearings for said rollers are free to move to their predeterminedoperating position in said guide slots, a reciprocating type bed, andmeans on said type bed for moving certain of said rollers verticallywith their bearings relatively to said guide slots.

19. An inking assembly including a pair of main side plates, alignedguide slots in said side plates, a series of inking rollers, bearingsfor said inking rollers mounted for guided gravitational verticalmovement in said guide slots, certain of said rollers resting on oneanother when the bearings for said rollers are free to move by gravityto their predetermined operating position in said guide slots, areciprocating type bed, and means on said type bed for moving certain ofsaid rollers vertically with their bearings relatively to said guideslots.

20. An inking assembly including a pair of main side plates, alignedguide slots in said side plates, a series of inking rollers, bearingsfor said inking rollers mounted for guided gravitational verticalmovement in said guide slots, certain of said rollers resting on oneanother guided vertical movement in said when the bearings for saidrollers are free to move by gravity to their predetermined operatingposition in said guide slots, and movable means juxtaposed to said mainside plates for lifting said rollers and their bearings relatively tosaid side plates and relatively to one another.

21. An inking assembly including a pairof main side plates, alignedguide slots in said side plates, a series of inking rollers, bearingsfor said inking rollers mounted for guided vertical gravitationalmovement in said guide slots, certain of said rollers resting on oneanother when the bearings for said rollers are free to move by gravityto their predetermined operating posi tion in said guide slots, areciprocating type bed, means on said type bed for moving certain ofsaid rollers vertically with their bearings relatively to said guideslots, and manually operated means for likewise moving said rollers andbean ings bodily relatively to said guide slots.

22. An inking assembly including a pair of main side plates, alignedguide slots in said side plates, a series of inking rollers, bearingsfor said inking rollers mounted for guided vertical movement in saidguide slots, certain of said rollers resting on one another when thebearings for said rollers are free to move to their predeterminedoperating position in said guide slots, a reciprocating type bed, meanson said type bed for moving certain of said rollers vertically withtheir bearings relatively to said guide slots, control plates slidablerelatively to said main side plates, surfaces on said control platesadapted to elevate the bearings of said rollers relatively to the mainside plates and relatively to one another whereby to separate saidrolls, and manual means for moving said control plates simultaneouslyrelatively to said main plates.

23. An inking assembly including a pair of main side plates joined by ahorizontal beam member, a latch mechanism for securing said side platesto the printing machine, means for operating said latch mechanism,aligned guide slots in said side plates, a series of inking rollers,bearings for said inking rollers mounted for guide slots, certain ofsaid rollers resting on one another when the bearings for said rollersare free to move to their predetermined operating position in said guideslots, a reciprocating type bed, means on said type bed for movingcertain of said rollers vertically with their bearings relatively tosaid guide slots, connected control plates slidable relatively to saidmain side plates, surfaces on said control plates adapted to elevate thebearings of said rollers relatively to the main side plates andrelatively to one another whereby to separate said rolls, and means onsaid horizontal beam for lifting said connected control platessimultaneously relatively to said main side plates.

24. In a printing press, in combination, vertical side frame members,side frame members for an inking assembly fitting within the side framemembers of the press, means between the side frame members of the inkingassembly and the side frame members of the press forming a pin and notchconnection, and means on said inking assembly and frame members of thepress forming a latch connection for holding the said inking assemblyand press assembled at said pin and notch connection.

JOHN DUKE TYLER.

